Digimon Adventure: Revised
by DivineGuidanceAlpha
Summary: What if there was a Digidestined that Gennai didn't predict, or even know of? A slightly revised story of the original Digimon Adventure, with a different perspective.
1. Chapter 1

Digimon Adventure: Revised

Written by Divine Guidance Alpha

Requests and private comments may be sent to HitoSorrelius

Chapter 01: And so it Begins...

Evan Seawolf, Evan to everyone he met, was bored out of his wits. Summer Camp with other kids his age was not exactly what he had in mind for even part of his break. Despite having moved to the area about six years ago, he had only made a couple of friends, and that was the way he liked it. One of them, a kid named Taichi Yagami, shorthand Tai, was also on this trip, and that had been the only reason he had agreed to go.

Tai. Evan had only met him because they lived in the same building, but the boy was so active and outgoing that one would think he and Evan exact opposites. It wasn't quite true, however: Evan was Tai's training partner for soccer, as they both went running on Sunday mornings, and their friendship had started with that. Evan's kickboxing training, something his father insisted on him continuing to learn after the move, had made his legs every bit as strong as Tai's, and once he had practiced enough, he had proven a decent match for the boy with the odd taste in headgear when it came to kicking the ball. He still had to work on dribbling and passing, but he was good with his head, both strategically and in the fact that he could dent a wall with his head-butt.

He was actually looking for Tai when he first saw the snow falling. He went into the trees instead of hiding out in a tent when it turned to a blizzard, because he couldn't stand his tent-mate. Once it had calmed down, he started looking again, listening for Tai's rather loud and boisterous voice. It was faint, but he heard it, and at least a couple of others, so he decided not to intrude. After all, he may have been Tai's friend, but Tai had other friends, and he wasn't sure how much he liked them. He could tell almost all of the voices, since most of them were in his class: Yamato Ishida, shorthand Matt, a pretty boy always looking to protect his little brother; Koshiro Izumi, shorthand Izzy, a computer kid whom he had also gotten to know pretty well; Joe Kido, future doctor, present coward; Mimi Tachikawa, a rather pretty girl with a love for clothing and forgetfulness for everything else; Sora Takenouchi, the girl with the weird hat; and Matt's little brother, Takeru Takaishi, whom everyone called "T.K." All in all, they were an unconventional group, but he could tell they all liked the snow. With how well Tai got on with people, he would probably start a snowball fight, and have them all being best friends before the day was done.

As he thought about friends, he saw the aurora borealis in the sky. It looked beautiful to him, even if it was strange to see it here. He saw the second light as the rainbow of color faded, saw it split into seven...no, eight. One split off from the pack and shot right for him. He jumped back, tripping over an exposed root and landing flat on his back as it made impact a few inches from where he had been standing. As he pushed himself to his feet, he saw the glow dim slightly, saw the shining device slowly rising from the hole.

As if by instinct, he caught it as it came to eye level. He had a few moments to observe it, looking over the three buttons on the face and the strange long button on the side, the square screen, and the strange ring of markings around the screen, before there was a sound like rushing water. He looked up, and his jaw dropped as the great wave washed over him.

Though he was not soaked, somehow he was falling, and falling fast by the feel of the rushing wind around him. He clenched his eyes shut, clutching the device with all his might. _Help me, someone...anyone..._It was about then that his consciousness abandoned him, but before he fell into the dark completely, he heard a response:

_Don't worry, Evan. I will help you. I promise._


	2. Chapter 2

Digimon Adventure: Revised

Written by Divine Guidance Alpha

Requests and private comments may be sent to HitoSorrelius

Chapter 02: A Friendly Plant and a Hungry Dinosaur

It was a strange feeling, waking up. For a moment, he believed that he had dreamed the whole thing. He would open his eyes, see that his alarm clock had fallen off the nightstand again, and he would have to rush to get everything in the car so he could make it to the meeting place on time.

He opened his eyes. He had not been dreaming. And now he was far, far from camp, if the desert around him was any indicator of location.

He pushed himself up, sand rolling off of his lower body and legs; he had been partially buried. As he staggered to his feet, he could tell that this place was not Japan, or anywhere else on Earth, for that matter. He was fairly certain that there was no desert that held a replica of the Coliseum of Rome. Still, everything felt real, from the heat of the sand and sun, to the sudden push he felt on his back that sent him tumbling down to the foot of the dune he had awoken on. As he picked himself up again, something small rolled off of him and landed on the ground beside him. It looked a bit like a seed that had just started sprouting its leaves, but there was no shell to it. Instead of roots, it had tiny legs. The face, when he saw it, was alive and animated. In all, it looked like a plush doll from some show he probably wouldn't recognize if he saw it; TV wasn't really his thing.

"Where did you come from?" he asked it, but he wasn't expecting it to right itself, hop-turn to face him, and reply.

"I came from a Digi-Egg, Evan. And you came out of the sky!" This caused him to stare a bit, which made the little creature frown. That big, anime-like face was rather cute, if he were the cute-liking type.

"...Okay. Obviously I hit my head during the blizzard. Or maybe that meteor killed me. Is this hell?" The creature giggled a bit, then jumped into his arms...or, it would have, if he had caught it. Instead, it tumbled down to land at his feet again, pouting a bit. Still not a fan of cute.

Still, it wasn't rude enough to not reply. "No, this is the Digital World. And I'm Tanemon, your partner. I have been waiting to meet you." He looked to the creature, then to his right hand, which he realized was still clutching the device.

"Okay, then what is this?" He showed the device to the plant-like creature; maybe he could consider this an adventure, at least until he woke up or snapped out of it.

"That's your Digivice! It is a powerful tool that will help the both of us become stronger." He nodded, accepting that for the moment.

"So, you're Tanemon, and you are my partner. How do you know that? And how do you know my name?" For some reason, the little plant's voice sounded familiar, like he'd met the little guy before. He was pretty sure it was a guy, since it sounded a bit like T.K. with a cold. "...Come to think of it, what are you? Not who, but what?"

The little plant giggled again, and Evan didn't quite find it annoying. "I think that's a pretty weird coupling of questions, but I'll answer anyway: I'm a Digimon, short for Digital Monster. There are a lot of types of us out there, and not all are as friendly as me. And I know I'm your partner the same way I know your name, I just do." He was willing to accept those answers, so he nodded.

"...I can accept that as truth. So, do you know why I was brought here? _Why_ you are my partner? Most importantly, do you know of a way I can get back home?"

The little guy had been frowning thoughtfully until the last question, which caused a smile and a proper laugh. "I do know the last one, boy do I!" He hesitated, the smile becoming a small frown again. "But...the only way I know of is pretty dangerous. Not only is the way itself protected by a puzzle that requires nine keys, but recently, a powerful Digimon named Myotismon has laid claim to the castle where it is hidden." He looked frightened at even mentioning the name.

"I see...and you seem very young, so I doubt you can help me take on someone like him just yet." Tanemon gave a sad little nod. "I bet that there is a way to make you stronger, though."

The plant grinned. "Yep! Even simple fighting can make me stronger, but I was told that you would need something very special to make me strong enough to stand up to Myotismon. I was told that you would need to find something called a Tag, and that would lead you to a Crest." Now this was sounding more like a video game, and he was good at this kind.

He was about to ask if the little one knew where he could find such items, when the dune he had awoken on seemed to explode, and a figure was bull-rushing the duo as the sand flew. It looked like a cross between a rhinoceros and a dinosaur, with one horn, black plates along its scaly gray body, and four feet with three claws on each. The boy scooped up his supposed partner, and started running for his absolute life, the creature in hot pursuit, his destination obvious: The coliseum.

To his great disappointment, the opening ahead was big enough for the pursuing monster to get in. Still, he ran for his life even once inside, cutting through the narrow halls until he was out in the stands, and he started upwards.

As he reached the top row of seats, he realized that there were many ways in and out of the place, but all of them were noticeable. Down below, where they had emerged, Monochromon was roaring and stomping, trying to figure out how to get up to the pair without slipping. Finally, he decided on a slow approach, one step at a time as he climbed up to his little meal.

Tanemon hopped from Evan's arms, and shot a small pink bubble at the giant dinosaur. It only opened its mouth in return, and sent back an orb of fire twice as large as Tanemon himself. Evan caught the little plant by the stalk, and ran towards the next set of doors. The beast roared after him, and even tried to give chase, until it slipped and skidded down a few sets of steps.

Once he was safely inside the walls again, Evan was off like a frightened rabbit, trying to make sure that the tunnel he left from didn't have anything nasty waiting on the other end. Most were locked and barred, which made Evan wonder about the actual usage of the structure. When he finally found a door that was not barred or blocked, it was not pleasant: _Another_ of the giant dinosaurs. Thankfully, this one was sleeping, and rather heavily, since it didn't hear the door creak open. There was a gaping hole to the outside world just beyond the dinosaur's head. The boy began creeping slowly, silently, so that he wouldn't disturb the sleeping giant.

"What are these things, Tanemon?"

"They are Monochromon. They are dinosaur Digimon that are normally very peaceful, unless they are hungry or territorial." Both were speaking softly, so they didn't wake up the mon. Sadly, fate must have been conspiring against them, for there was a great crashing and smashing sound coming from behind them, as well as the familiar roar of the first Monochromon.

The sleeping beast opened a great eye, and saw a human and small plant Digimon right in his line of view. He blinked stupidly, and Evan took off back through the open door. There was a roar of shock and anger when the beast realized it was not still dreaming, and the wall behind them exploded as the fresh Monochromon began pursuit.

_Two of them, and he said that they were territorial. I just need to get them into the arena, and they may decide to fight it out...or they may decide that working together will nab them the bigger meal._

"No choice," he said out loud, and before Tanemon could ask what he meant, he was sprinting out into the open air, the newer enemy crashing out behind them. The first one was visible, as he had been waiting near where they first escaped into the inner walls. "If you have anything you have been hiding, I would appreciate you showing it now," Evan said to the little plant, who again hopped out of his arms.

"Don't worry, Evan. I will help you. I promise." As Tanemon spoke, Evan figured out where he felt he knew the mon's voice from. He had heard it when he was washed into this...Digital World.

Suddenly, the device, which he had refused to let go of, began to glow brightly. As it did, so too did Tanemon. Without thinking, without even reasoning, he pressed the button on the side. As he did, Tanemon's glow became blinding. All he heard was the voice, and it deepened slightly as it spoke.

"Tanemon Digivolve to...Aururaumon!" The glow faded, and where the little seedling had stood, a fine blooming plant now stood, with a purple-and-spotted flower on its head. "Evan, get moving. I'll at least slow them down so we can escape." Evan did as he was told, starting to back towards their original entrance, wide open and unguarded for the moment. However, he couldn't just abandon the plant; they were partners, and even if he didn't know what to make of that statement, he felt attached. So, he stood ready, waiting for the chance to grab Tanemon...er, Aururaumon, and escape.

With both Monochromon now watching the plant, he pointed his claws at them. "Poison Ivy!" he shouted, whipping both hands towards the pair of dinosaurs. The little claws on the end of his...leaves...became long whips, and both sets of three landed their marks, taking out a leg on the Monochromon. Both took a huge tumble down the steps, and into the middle of the arena.

As Evan had thought, the moment that they noticed each other, they started fighting. Without skipping a beat, Evan grabbed the plant by the...hand?...and began sprinting for that escape route again. Hopefully, there would not be a third encounter on the way out.

Long story short, there wasn't, and Evan was now walking in the desert with his partner, Aururaumon. For a time, Evan asked questions, such as how many Digimon were out there, to which Aururaumon asked how many humans there were in Evans' world. He asked about the diurnal cycle of day and night, and found it was identical to his world.

When he finally stopped sweating and started feeling like he was just baking all the juices out of his system, he had to stop and catch his breath. "I don't suppose you can make water or anything like that?" he asked as they stopped at the bottom of a dune, his voice a bit raw from lack of water.

"No," the plant answered sadly, shaking the slightly wilting flower that Evan recognized as belladonna; his mother was a botanist, and she was always working with some exotic or deadly flower or another. "I don't even know if we are close to anywhere with water. I traveled across the desert from the opposite direction to find you. I didn't even know if you would be coming today, tomorrow, or at all. I just kept looking."

Evan sighed and nodded, closing his eyes. The plant made a sniffing sound, and the boy opened his eyes, prepared to try and stop crying. He hated hearing or seeing crying, it made him feel...weird. He had never cried, and until today, he had never really panicked. However, his partner was not looking teary-eyed; no, the plant was sniffing the air, turning towards the dune they had yet to scale. "Hang on...I smell water. And it's close!"

That got Evan off of his rear, and the two made their way up the hill, stopping to stare in shock as they got to the top of the dune. At the bottom, the desert seemed to fade instantaneously into thick forest. "There it is!" Aururaumon pointed, and Evan could see a great lake some ways in.

"Do you think you can find your way to it through the forest?" Evan asked the plant.

"Leave it to me. I'll get us there no problem." With that, Aururaumon began walking down the dune with Evan close behind.

It was a strange world he had come to, he decided, but until he found a way back to his own, he wouldn't let it get him down. He would keep going the path he believed was true.


	3. Chapter 3

Digimon Adventure: Revised

Written by Divine Guidance Alpha

Requests and private comments may be sent to HitoSorrelius

Chapter 03: Lobster and Sage

It took some walking, but Aururaumon did finally lead Evan to a source of water. It was large and clean, and Evan drank gratefully the moment he could cup enough to get to his mouth. Every gulp was like a gift from some greater being. Aururaumon drank deeply too, though all he did was dip his roots into the muddy embankment a ways away.

When his thirst was finally quenched, Evan moved slightly away from the lake, back into the trees, to start setting up a camp of sorts. Aururaumon helped by making vines to use as rope, which he used along with a rather large outdoor blanket his mother had given him to make a tent between two trees . She had used it all the time in dangerous situations, she said, and it always worked out. Not that he could remember a time that it had; sure, the bear hadn't torn it up, and the snakes couldn't bite through it, and the wolves had ignored it...okay, maybe she was right.

Once the tent was made, Evan started gathering materials for a fire. He found some decently sized sticks, as well as some twigs for kindling. After digging through his rather well-stocked backpack, he came up with a few old school papers as well. He arranged the materials so that the burnable pieces were overlapping or wrapped around the larger sticks, with one particular piece sticking out for the initial starting spot. He retrieved a lighter from one of the pockets of his backpack, and lit the papers. He watched as they slowly burned, then caught the twigs, which helped catch the sticks. Soon, there was a jolly fire going, which Evan fed further by getting bigger sticks.

With the fire nice and hot, the boy and mon settled in to start dinner. They had canned tuna and baked beans, which they ate out of plastic bowls. Evan was pleasantly surprised that his partner liked mixing them just as much as he did. They ate in a rather peaceful silence, watching the fire instead of the slowly setting sun. When the meal was done, Evan wiped the bowls clean, rather than rinsing them in the lake. He didn't want to go near it at night. After that, they continued watching the fire, still rather silent in their companionship.

"...It's been hours," Evan suddenly said as he looked up from the fire. "I wonder if anyone at the camp even noticed that I'm gone. Tai might...he is a good friend. The counselors might. They might catch some trouble if my old man decides to call and I'm not there."

Something about that caught Aururaumon's attention. "Old man? You possess an elder?" Evan's laughter did not help the confused mon at all.

"Not exactly, Aururaumon. I meant my father." This didn't help the creature either, and Evan saw it. "Humans have these people, called a mother and father, or parents. Humans are born live, not hatched from eggs, and they are even weaker than a baby Digimon, I'm sure. They can't walk or talk for about a year after birth." Aururaumon was almost horrified, and this amused Evan greatly. "And we don't Digivolve, either. We age, but we never really change our appearance. I will always be human." This shocked the poor Digimon even more, and Evan had to laugh at it. When the Digimon glared at him, he patted the creature's back, saying, "That's not necessarily a bad thing, buddy."

Both of them seemed to blink at that. Aururaumon was shocked because he had just been treated as a real friend by his partner, and Evan because he considered someone he knew so little about a real friend already. The two sat in silence for a while, watching the sun finally get taken beneath the horizon. Neither saw the small ripples on the surface of the lake, or the dark shadow slowly moving towards the shore.

Finally, Evan said, "You get some sleep first. After waking up in that sand dune, sleep doesn't sound so appealing to me." The mon didn't even bat an eye in doubt as he crawled into the tent, curling up on one side so his partner could crawl in when he got tired.

Evan sat at the base of one of the trees, watching for any sign of movement from the forest side. Again he missed the shadow slowly creeping from the water, but his ears caught the dripping sound, as well as the scuttling of rather heavy feet. When he turned to try and see where the sound was coming from, it stopped. He looked away, and it began again. "Aururaumon," he said softly, but still with force. "I think something is out there."

"I know," the plant's voice came back just as softly. "I dug my roots in to drink while I slept and felt the vibrations."

"What do you think it is?" Evan asked.

Aururaumon never got the chance to answer, as suddenly the forest was alive with sound: Trees crashed behind him, and Evan just barely dived out of the way to avoid being caught by a giant pair of pincers, the tree he had been leaning against being cut clean in half. He had to duck as the claw swung in again, the giant lobster-like creature it was attached to growling in anger that its prey had escaped.

"Poison Ivy!" Aururaumon's voice came from the dark, and Evan saw and heard the vines lash against the carapace of the creature, to no effect.

"Claw Crusher!" A much deeper voice growled out, and Aururaumon was smacked clean _through_ a tree by the massive pincer. All of Evan's calm assessment went out the window, and he felt hate. It was something he had felt before, especially about bullies. This time, it was because he was watching a friend get hurt.

Suddenly, the Digivice began to glow, just as it had during the fight with Monochromon. So did Aururaumon, who had just crawled to his feet after hitting the tree behind the now-missing one. "Aururamon, Digivolve to..." The small voice grew again, and Evan could almost make out the little plant growing, becoming very human in shape. "Sagemon!"

The glowing stopped, and in Aururaumon's place was a scarecrow-esque figure. He had on a big, floppy hat, held a long staff with a sunflower on it in his left hand, and all of his clothes, hat included, were rather patched and frayed in appearance. His eyes were as green as his cape and hat, his skin as grey as the dead. His mouth was hidden. There was a pouch at his waist, held there by a rope belt. His boots zipped up in the front, and had a leaf on the zipper. If one knew of Wizardmon, they would say this fellow was a cousin who happened to be a farmer.

"You Digivolved again!" Evan was surprised, but happily so. He had expected Digivolution to be a lot of hard work. However, if size was any indicator, this strange lobster-like Digimon was still stronger.

"That I did. Now I'm equal in level to this crustacean, but I am the stronger. Isn't that right, Ebidramon?" The lobster growled, swinging the giant claw at the scarecrow again. He caught it with the sunflower, which glowed like sunlight. "Magical Beam!" He whipped the staff around and struck the lobster across the face with it, a burst of golden energy firing off dead-center. This time, Ebidramon was the one smashed through a tree. It scrambled around and thrashed, finally managing to get up to its feet again.

"Claw Crusher!" It swung again, raging and furious. Again, Sagemon blocked it and repelled him with a swing to the face. This time, he leaped after the crustacean, and got on top of his back when he righted himself.

"Binding Earth!" Sagemon shouted, slamming the sunflower right into Ebidramon's back. Thick roots from the trees around them shot up, wrapping the lobster in a crushing grip. Evan was amazed, but silent, even as the vines tightened, and the creature began to whine in pain. Sagemon stopped about then, and stepped down. "We don't have any paper, but I can grow a few good, dry sage bushes, and we can have ourselves a big lobster barbecue."

Evan chuckled, and the lobster whined. "Please, not that! I was just scared, that's all! Etemon has been torturing us for no reason at all, making us listen to his rancid music and do his every whim."

That turned Evan's smile into a dark frown. "Tell me more," he said, nodding at Sagemon to remove the bindings.

Once freed, Ebidramon proved to be a gold mine of information: Evan was on the Continent of Server, one of the largest continents on the Digital World, in a forest just south of the desert. They were close to a place that Ebidramon was absolutely positive had the Tag that they were looking for. About halfway through the conversation, Sagemon de-Digivolved back into Aururaumon. Once that had happened, Ebidramon began speaking of Etemon and his Dark Network. This was when Evan listened most intently, and he discovered that almost everyone was working for Etemon. Everyone feared or hated him, and no one was brave enough to stand up to him. If they did, well, there were plenty of reminders of the consequences. Several of them were listed: A small village of baby Digimon had been captured and caged, and their village was now being used by evil baby Digimon. That was a tough concept for Evan to grasp; Tanemon had been absolutely cute and harmless. But, it was also a trap. It was pretty far away, so Evan didn't think it much of a problem. There were other strange occurrences, such as the Coliseum and the oddities of the desert, but none of them really struck a chord in him.

Finally, Ebidramon had one last story to tell. "There is a place out there, somewhere beyond this forest. It's a frozen wasteland. Few Digimon even go out there, but there is one who is standing vigilant. He doesn't seem evil, but he protects the mountain behind him fiercely. His name is MasterTyrannomon, and he has never lost a battle." That got Evan's attention. A powerful force that guards a seemingly insignificant place? It sounded like his kind of adventure. If anything, this force could prove beneficial, and he could learn more about Aururaumon and his powers. Sagemon was powerful, and it seemed that Digivolving could go further, if all that talk about completely Digivolved Digimon and the Tag and Crest proved to be true.

"Thank you, Ebidramon. You can go now. We'll meet again, I'm sure, and I hope we won't be on bad terms." The lobster nodded, then began scuttling back towards the lake. Once at the edge, it dove right in, vanishing into the dark water.

Now alone again with his partner, Evan repaired the tent, crawling in with the plant. Ebidramon wouldn't be too far away, and he had said his purpose was to protect the lake, so Evan let sleep take him without any effort at all. It was nice, sleeping well because others had your back.

(Author's Note: Hello, all you Digi peoples. I must say, I have had a fun time writing this so far. I may not always write at my best, but I always put my best into writing a story. I didn't want to explain everything yet, so I gave the general overview, and when each topic comes up, I'll give the details then. Anyway, I am going to ask you, the readers, if there are any 1st generation Digimon that weren't in the show, or maybe that were and didn't get a lot of airtime or personality, that you would like to see in this. While I am doing this for me, I also wish to do this story for the reader.)


	4. Chapter 4

Digimon Adventure: Revised

Written by Divine Guidance Alpha

Requests and private comments may be sent to HitoSorrelius

Chapter 04: Welcome to Hell-Mart!

Aururaumon woke Evan early, when the sun was rising. Evan wasn't exactly a morning person, but he didn't get violent or angry. Setting out early might be safer than sticking around. This was a lake, and Ebidramon was probably not the only Digimon around. He packed up the blanket, and the duo had a hasty breakfast of Twinkies and energy drinks. It was unhealthy and he would probably drop into a sugar coma, but it was a good source of instant energy. After that, the two set off in the direction of the place that Ebidramon had said would definitely have the Tag that they were looking for. The shellfish had been vague about what kind of place it was, but it said they would find the Tag there. It also warned him against showing off the Digivice. It was strange, powerful, possibly dangerous, and was now clipped to a cloth band around his wrist like a watch. If anything were to go down, he was quick on the draw; his addiction to card games was to blame for that.

They walked until the sun was over their heads, and they still hadn't left the forest. They were in a thick, lush area, where Aururaumon had to carve their way through. They had met no other Digimon, but there was the usual noise of a forest, including the bugs and birds.

It was entirely by accident that they stumbled upon the place that they had been told of; Aururaumon insisted he smelled cooked fish, and Evan insisted he was just smelling his own breath. They argued about it until someone called out, "Is there someone out there?" They froze up, not daring to breathe, let alone speak. The voice called again, "Well, if there is someone out there, I would love to offer you some free samples of our grilled salmon!" Aururaumon was across the clearing and to the little stand in front of a rather large square building before Evan could so much as say, "Don't-"

Reluctantly, Evan followed the plant, and he was surprised to see that the building was a store. There was no parking lot or other signs of population, but there was a strange Digimon handing his own mon a piece of grilled fish on a stick. It looked like a fish-man with scuba gear. "Mmmm~" Aururaumon vocalized as he ate the fish, one little nibble at a time. "This is great! Thank you, Divermon!" Evan wasn't surprised that the little mon knew the name of the other; he had known the names of Monochromon and Ebidramon, and it didn't seem like he had ever met them.

"Glad you like it," the fish-mon replied, looking to Evan. "And you, stranger? Care to try some smoked salmon, fresh-caught this morning?"

Astute as ever, Evan asked, "Where did you catch it from? The last lake we saw was a good distance away." Divermon smiled as if indulging a questioning child, revealing sharp shark's teeth.

"You are close to the Digi-Ocean now, boy. Just an hour's walk in the direction of the sun's path. " He could accept that, so he accepted a free sample of the fish.

To put it bluntly, it was delicious. "...I don't suppose this place takes cash, does it? I could use some more supplies to replace what we've used so far."

"We've got an exchange counter," Divermon replied coolly, still smiling that insolent smile. "In fact, I _am_ the exchange counter. Just come on inside."

Evan wasn't too surprised; this Digimon reminded him of the guy that sold his dad his last "new" car. He probably was the exchange counter, the cashier, the manager, and the cleanup crew. And his prices were probably outrageous. As they were led inside, Evan looked at the sign that was basically the front of the shop. "'Welcome to the Dive. Fresh fish and squid served daily. Supplies and cash exchange available. Free gift for every customer.' Yeah, Dad wouldn't like this place. It screams 'I am going to swindle you.'" With that, he walked in; unlike his father, he didn't care if he came off as rude by saying no when he meant it.

Evan wasn't far from right; instead of that specific Divermon being all of the jobs, there were several Divermon at different registers. Aururaumon was at one on the far left of the store, where the Divermon was pulling something up on the register screen. "So, what kind of cash we talking?"

Evan pulled out his wallet and slapped down all of the different bills he had in there; his folks liked to send him with enough money to feed the school. "Yen. Japanese currency." The Divermon typed quickly, for one with webbed fingers, and something came up on the screen.

"Ah, yes. Let me just count it up..." He took all of the bills and quickly counted the total up, and typed it into the machine. "Alright, the total translates to...five thousand Digi-Dollars. Shall I do the exchange?" Evan nodded, and the register opened up. His bills were inserted, and out came his new money, straight into the wallet it went.

"Can we do a little shopping now?" he asked, and the Divermon nodded, smiling that infuriating smile again. Why it annoyed him so much, he wasn't sure. But he knew that if he asked another question and got it, he would deck this fish personally, shark teeth and backup standing by or not. He shook off his bad feelings and grabbed a basket. Aururaumon was right there with him, already looking around.

"What do we need most?" At least the plant was practical.

"Water. Or _something_ to drink, at least. I don't want to go through another desert, of sand or ice, without something to keep us hydrated." Aururaumon nodded and got to work looking; he was a pretty good shopper, finding that water was cheapest and getting two gallons. They could refill the jugs wherever they found water, and as a plant, he didn't need to "drink" as much as his partner. He also got them some trail mix, so they didn't dig too deeply into the junk food or the meal food.

When he saw that the plant was getting their rations perfectly well without his help, Evan went about getting them some other supplies. They didn't need rope, since Aururaumon could make vines at will, and they didn't need a tent, as the blanket had proven its worth time and again. Instead, he got them a set of traveling cloaks; they were very like ponchos, but they had hoods, and they seemed to blend into whatever he put behind, above, or near them. They weren't even that expensive, only a thousand for both. He also got a set of leather wristbands, so he could have something a little more sturdy to clip the Digivice to.

The duo met up back at the exchange counter, where Divermon was waiting. "That was pretty quick shopping. Usually people take much longer to decide what they need."

"I know where I want to go," Evan replied just as coolly, waiting as the mon rang their purchases up.

"Final price is one thousand, two hundred and thirty Digi-Dollars." Evan paid it out, and after the mon handed him his change, he just had to ask.

"What about the free gift that the sign out front promises?" There was no indulgent smile now. Suddenly there was something...anxious about the mon. One glance back showed that the other Divermon, who hadn't shown much interest in the boy when he entered, were now warily watching him, some pulling harpoon guns from below the counters. They were expecting him to cause trouble?

Finally the Divermon spoke again. "Y...yes, yes, the gift. One moment, please." He turned around and went to the wall, to a door marked "Employees Only!" There were five large, colored buttons on a keypad beside it. The fish pushed the blue one, then the black one. The door opened, and he disappeared inside. The air was tense with silence, and the boy and his partner felt that maybe they shouldn't have been there. Their cashier came back out, holding a small black box. It was deposited into Evan's waiting hand, and the boy opened it up without waiting. Inside was a strange, black, hexagonal pendant on a simple leather cord. There was a slot in the pendant, like something went inside it.

Aururaumon stared at it for a good moment, before he exclaimed, "Evan! That's the Tag! I would bet my life on it!" Evan shivered at those words, like they were some kind of omen, but he didn't believe in that kind of stuff. He put it on, slipping it below his shirt, and took their bags.

"Thank you for your help," he said to the Divermon, who simply paled, backing away. This was not the usual reaction to thanks being given, so Evan knew something was wrong. He turned his head slowly, and he felt it; heat, like the desert had chased them here. Standing in the doorway was a tall man. His boots were mostly metal, with a skull engraved into the front. He wore no shirt, but he had plenty of chains wrapped around his upper body. His face was hidden behind a metal mask. His hair was blue fire.

"You. Human boy." So, not a man, but a Digimon. As if his appearance wasn't enough of a hint. "You will come with me. You will not run or fight, and I will not destroy you."

"...And if I say no?" he asked, sounding far more confident than he really was.

"I annihilate you," the giant said simply. "I am SkullMeramon. I am not only fully Digivolved, but I am a general of Myotismon, under Mistress Gatomon." Evan knew the first name well enough. Aururaumon was trembling beside him, and the belladonna flower was wilting already; the heat was intense.

Evan didn't see a way out of this that ended with him still standing. Either they postured until he passed out and then got taken anyway, fought it out and got annihilated, or tried to run and got gunned down. He unconsciously moved to rub his left wrist; since he didn't wear a watch, he wasn't used to the cloth band holding the...the Digivice! Fully Digivolved or not, Sagemon was a better hope for them than Aururaumon. He pressed the button without hesitation, and Aururaumon began glowing.

"Aururaumon, Digivolve to...Sagemon!" The wizard was moving and dragging the boy as soon as he could, which was faster than SkullMeramon reacted, thankfully. They were behind the first row of shelves when a blue fireball hit the counter, exploding and sending Divermon into the wall. He missed the still-open door by inches.

"So, you _can_ make your partner Digivolve at will. Myotismon will be very happy if I bring you to him." SkullMeramon raised his arms, forming a super-sized fireball in the air. As he prepared to direct it for the two, the Divermon attacked, unleashing blasts of water or firing their harpoon guns. Even if they had planned to betray the boy, once one of their own had been hurt, they all turned on the burning man. Even with that much water forced on him, SkullMeramon simply turned up the heat, the blue flames of his hair now covering his whole body. The water turned to steam, making it hard to see anything in the store.

"Close your eyes," Sagemon said to Evan, and the boy listened. He shut tight, his arms still full of the supplies. He didn't see what happened, but Sagemon explained it later. All he heard was the somewhat deep voice of his partner shouting, "Sun Blight!" And even with his eyes shut, he could tell something extremely bright went off, which caused everyone else in the shop to groan in pain as they were blinded by light refracted in the steam. Evan felt his arm get grabbed by Sagemon's gloved hand, and the two were moving a moment later.

Evan would look back with amazement on the fact that he hadn't tripped over anything at all as they ran for their lives, his eyes _still _closed. Sagemon was a far better navigator than Aururaumon, and his sunflower staff somehow let him tell the trees and foliage to get out of the way of their escape, and to go back and root deep and grow strong behind them. When they finally stopped running, the sun was beginning to set, and Aururaumon made his return. The forest was still thick around and ahead. "Aururaumon, do you think we may be going the wrong way?" Evan finally asked.

The little plant seemed to think on it, then he shook his head. "No, this is the right way. The trees told me so while I was Sagemon. I can't hear them now, but I know this is the right way. I-"

"-Just know," Evan finished for him, sighing; for a partner of his, Aururaumon went often on gut feeling rather than logic or truth. It was exasperating at times. Still, he appreciated having someone to help him. If he were all alone, he wouldn't have gotten away from Monochromon. Or Ebidramon. Or the Divermon. And especially not SkullMeramon. He owed the little guy so much already, it was both endearing and humiliating. He was glad that his partner could support him, but he believed that partners needed to both give and take, and he had done nothing but take so far. "...I'm sorry," he finally said, causing the plant to cock his head in confusion.

"Sorry? About what, the fish-breath thing? I'm already over that." Evan was about to try and explain what he was sorry for, but the plant thought he was going to keep apologizing about the argument. "Look, Evan, we're a team. We will argue, we will fight, but as long as I can keep you safe, I can take anything you throw at me. I am stronger than I look."

Evan stared for a moment, especially at the defiant look on his little friend's face. He just had to start laughing. It was strange, how much the plant reminded him of Tai without the leadership complex. Before Aururaumon could snap about the laughing, he put his hand on the mon's head, patting lightly. "You and me, buddy. We will find the Crest _and_ the way home. And if Myotismon gets in our way, so much the worse for him."

"_Get in your way? Now, why would lord Myotismon do that?"_ The voice was feminine, purring, but it made the young man feel fear in a way that he could not explain. He looked around for the source, but there was nothing. He had swapped the cloth band for the new leather one, and he proved his speed on the draw again, his hand already waiting on the trigger. _"Now, now, there's no need for this to get ugly. My lord doesn't seek to hurt you, little DigiDestined."_ Aururaumon frowned slightly; that name sounded familiar...

"And who are you to say what 'your lord' does or does not seek, coward?" Evan's words were more confident than he really was, but his bluff to get her out in the open succeeded. There was a rustle behind him, and he dodged a small, furry projectile with sharp claws by sidestepping very fast. Aururaumon was glowing by the time she landed, and a rather tired-looking Sagemon was standing in his place by the time she turned around. "...A cat?" Evan asked, incredulous; this was the threat that he was feeling? No way, no chance.

"Careful, kid," she purred, and there was the feeling, though now he also felt stupid; was he missing something? "You don't know who you're playing with. I'm Gatomon, and I am _the_ general of lord Myotismon's army." Evan wasn't sure whether to laugh or be scared. Even Sagemon was tense, his staff held firmly and pointed straight at the feline. "Put it away, junior, you'll only hurt yourself if you try," she said when she took notice of him, and there was some irk in her voice that she didn't have with the boy. "Now, I am not here to fight. In fact, my lord wants to help."

"Yeah, who wouldn't need a giant flaming man to do their grocery shopping?" he asked, sarcasm dripping from each word.

The cat rolled her eyes. "I told him not to send the hothead. I told him to send me, that I could convince you without causing a stir. I was whipped for questioning his command." She put on a sulking look, and for a moment, Evan was reminded of Miko, Tai's cat, when he didn't share his food while he was visiting the goggle-head. Maybe that was what she was waiting for, some form of connection, some sign of weakness from them, for then she gave him those begging kitten eyes, and he looked right in. For those who don't know, the Cat's Eye technique is a feline ability that lets a strong-willed and stronger-minded feline control someone weaker. While Evan was most certainly not weaker of will or mind, he was exhausted from running, and he was overpowered quickly. Sagemon was just as tired, and he was taken out just as quickly.

When he came back to himself, Evan was laid out on a cold, white ground. It was night, and he was freezing. He snapped his head around, and immediately Aururaumon's form was found covered in snow beside himself. He shook the plant until he woke, and the two looked around. They were in the tundra, no doubt about it. Their supplies were untouched. The Tag was still around Evan's neck. _"Don't say lord Myotismon never did anything for you,"_ Gatomon's voice came like a chill on the wind, and when he heard her words, the chill spread down his back. Aururaumon was just as weirded out, but he was also faster to snap to reality. He did his best to clear away enough ice to give them dry ground to lay on, but it was all ice until he hit water.

With Plan "A" busted, the two looked to each other, and nodded; they would stop only long enough to eat, then they would press on. Their direction was obvious, the giant mountain that lay alone in the distance. Their new traveling ponchos kept them warm when they were pulled on, and the hoods kept the snow out of both hair and flower. It wasn't enough for the plant, Evan knew, but until he could figure out why the little guy kept...un-Digivolving...then he was going to suffer.

"Hey, Aururaumon...Why can you stay like this, but not at Sagemon?"

"Well...Digivolving is tough to explain. Even we Digimon don't know everything about it. We do know that it makes us stronger, but other than that, we don't have any real info. I know that when I Digivolved last night, I felt amazing, but when I did it both times today, I didn't feel that way." That gave him an instant idea.

"Let's stop again. I'm already hungry again."

"Me too," the plant agreed, and that further helped Evan's idea. He gave the plant a double-portion of food this time, and had the junk for himself. Now sleep was not appealing at all. First the desert, now waking up almost buried in snow...he was willing to wait for a real bed before he tried sleeping again. Until then, he could survive on sugar and caffeine.

Aururaumon was far happier when they resumed walking, even though the mountain didn't seem any closer yet. Evan resolved that his role had been found: For this adventure, he was simply support. His partner was the hero, and Evan could accept that truth...

...Until he could do something to stand even with his partner, anyway.


	5. Chapter 5

Digimon Adventure: Revised

Written by Divine Guidance Alpha

Requests and private comments may be sent to HitoSorrelius

Chapter 05: The Mountain's Master

When the sun peaked over the world on their right, they knew they were heading north for sure. The plant was tired of walking in the cold, tired of the snow and cold wind blowing into his hood and making his flower feel like it was freezing solid, and he was just plain tired. Evan smiled when he heard the now-familiar grumbling, "I don't like...water isn't supposed to...why we're even doing this?"

"Why don't you let me carry you on my back? Get some rest while you can. After all, we may have to fight this MasterTyrannomon that Ebidramon told us about, and since I am not very useful against a Digimon, you will need your strength." The plant thought about it, until Evan actually crouched down for him to climb on. He pounced the moment he could, wrapping his arms around his partner's neck as he settled against the pack.

"Thanks, Evan...When I wake up, if we're not there, I can Digivolve to Sagemon and carry _you_ while you sleep." Evan said nothing, but he didn't need to; Aururaumon was so out of it that he fell asleep just about the moment he stopped talking. Evan started walking as quickly as he could without jostling his sleeping partner, and did not stop. He saw no one else, though the mountain was getting closer and closer.

Before the sun got too high in the sky over them, dark, thick clouds came rolling in overhead to dim the light. This didn't worry or bother Evan, who had begun to feel the strain of hauling the Mon around. He had to weigh as much as the boy himself. Still, he did not let the plant down, he did not wake his partner, and he did not stop walking.

When Aururaumon finally awoke, they were at the foot of the mountain, but there was no one around. The ground was solid earth, which Aururaumon was grateful for. He hopped down, stretching and digging his roots in for a quick drink as Evan caught his breath. Both looked around, spying evidence of one great battle...or many, many small ones. Evan finally decided that they should eat again, another thing for the plant to be grateful for. They ate in calm silence in the shade, watching and listening for anything that could signal danger. As Evan looked up at the mountain, he noticed that the Tag around his neck was beginning to emit a dark, almost-sickly green glow.

Evan suddenly realized that this was the signal, that the Crest was close. Up the mountain, if his guess was correct.

It wasn't until they decided to try going up the mountain at dusk that they heard it: A roar of immense power and rage. Neither waited for any further invite. Evan used the Digivice, and Aururaumon became Sagemon. The roar came again, and this time the very ground shook as they kept walking up the trail carved in the mountain. Suddenly, the trail ahead and behind them exploded in black fire, and the largest Digimon that Evan had seen yet appeared; it had black skin, with dark red stripes going down the body, and green plates going down its spine. Its arms were wrapped in leather, only the claws sticking out at the front. Those claws were like sickles, curved and wicked sharp. It roared, and the mountain shuddered.

"Who dares to disturb my mountain?" The beast roared at the pair, savage fury etched into his face. "I see a wizard and a human. Not prey, victims. So, I will give you a chance to go back, now." The flames behind them vanished, but the two did not move.

"That's MasterTyrannomon, alright," Sagemon muttered. "But something is wrong. He looks half-mad." Evan chose to ignore this for the moment; maybe he thought they were enemies.

"I am Evan, and this is Sagemon. We mean no harm, and we are not going anywhere." The flames ahead disappeared, leaving nothing between the pair and the giant. The fire behind returned. "We have sought you to ask what you know about Crests." This was not the answer the dinosaur expected, or wanted, if his next ear-shattering roar was any indicator.

"I know nothing of the Crest of Truth!" The fire behind them burned higher, stronger, even as Evan knew the dinosaur was lying; he hadn't given the Crest any kind of title. "I protect my mountain from the powers of darkness; I smell darkness upon you! You seek to corrupt my Crest!" And with that, he attacked.

Sagemon immediately jumped in front of Evan to protect him, taking the swing meant for his friend. Down the Digimon flew, back to the battleground...no, Evan realized. Not a battleground. A killing ground. This dinosaur, whatever his original motives, had become crazed and vicious.

"Evan, keep going! I will distract him while!" Sagemon deflected and dodged three more swings, as well as a blast of black fire. "Don't just stand there, run!"

Evan nodded and began running, even though it killed him to leave the wizard behind. Up and up he ran, while the sounds of combat echoed from down below, as well as another roar of frustrated rage; either Sagemon was doing better than the dinosaur thought it would be, or the dinosaur had realized that the boy was going after the Crest. Like when carrying the plant, he did not stop or hesitate, but kept going. Up and up he ran, and the mountain seemed not to change, except the sounds of combat getting louder. Had MasterTyrannomon decided to give chase? That thought sped him up a bit, even though his lungs were beginning to burn.

He finally reached the top of the mountain, a plateau big enough to support Evan's room back home, but it wasn't huge. In the center, inlaid into the ground, was a giant tablet. The symbol upon it was strange, but somehow familiar: two circles were carved around a diagonal pair of crosses, each of which had a circle carved in every corner. Evan glanced back, listening hard for the sounds of battle or the sounds of his little friend. Only another rage-filled roar came to his ears. It had traveled a distance, maybe half of the mountain, if that?

Without knowing to, without understanding, he drew out the Tag, and held it straight out towards the tablet. The glow from the Tag seemed to trigger a reaction, and the Crest shrank down, floated over, and slid into the slot on the Tag as easily as a key into a lock. Suddenly, he knew. "This is the Crest of Truth...I know what to do with it."

"So do I. Give. IT. BACK!" MasterTyrannomon surprised Evan with how quiet he had been. Sagemon was clutched in one set of claws, and the dinosaur was livid, to say the least. The dinosaur reared back to swing, and, again without realizing why, Evan raised the wrist with the Digivice strapped to it. Time seemed to stop, and the world was lit up with a blinding glow. MasterTyrannomon gave a shrill roar of agony, the kind that would make anyone feel pity for the massive dinosaur. Suddenly, a blackened and twisted gear pushed a way through the chest of the fully Digivolved Digimon, and it fell to the ground before Evan. He stared in disgust, raised his foot, and crushed it beneath his boot.

The moment that it shattered, the light stopped, and MasterTyrannomon was looking around in confusion. "Where...where am I? What am I...doing?" He looked at Sagemon in his claws, and at Evan, the Crest of Truth hanging out of his shirt still. "You got the Crest?!" He looked Evan over, and seemed shocked. "You're _human_! _And_ you got the Crest! This is a joyous day, a joyous day indeed!" Evan stared as MasterTyrannomon began hugging his partner, Sagemon looking absolutely miserable as he was treated to a bone-crushing show of affection. Thirty or so cracks later, he was set down, and he immediately de-Digivolved into Aururaumon.

"Dang it," Evan muttered under his breath; he had hoped to try the power of the Crest as soon as possible, maybe even against MasterTyrannomon himself. The Ultimate Digimon seemed to know what the boy was thinking, as his next words perked the two of them up.

"We shall have to eat, and eat well, if I am to train you two to become stronger. And it may take time. Attaining full Digivolution is no easy feat, and I will not be easy on you two." Evan smiled to the Digimon, who smirked back.

"We've got nothing but time, and I have always liked tough teachers," Evan said with confidence. "Train us, Master." The two bowed deeply, and MasterTyrannomon returned the bow with dignity...until he scooped them both up, laughing and crying at the same time.

"I am so happy! I've never had students before, let alone a Digidestin and his partner!" The pair was in such pain and partial shock that the giant dinosaur was actually so emotional that even this interesting tidbit of information that could have helped them escaped their notice.

That would be to their own detriment until they did hear the information, which was not soon enough to help.


	6. Chapter 6

Digimon Adventure: Revised

Written by Divine Guidance Alpha

Requests and private comments may be sent to HitoSorrelius

Chapter 06: Training and "Truth"

Evan and his partner spent approximately two weeks training under MasterTyrannomon. It was cold all the time, it was difficult training, and neither believed they would finish each day. They did, every single day, and they were rewarded with a good, hearty meal at breakfast, lunch, and dinner. At the end of those two weeks, Aururaumon had made a permanent Digivolution into Sagemon, but they hadn't managed to awaken the Crest of Truth at all.

They had, however, been learning about the Digital World, and the Digimon. Somehow, the little slip-up the dinosaur had made about Digidestin was never brought up, since they hadn't heard it. However, they now knew that the Digital World was a parallel world, but it was also separate from Evan's Earth; two different sets of data inhabited each world, but Evan had been brought over when he caught the Digivice. Even with that information, MasterTyrannomon didn't bring up the title again. Sagemon was a bit confused, but he accepted that he and his partner were made of different stuff, but both could be destroyed. They learned about the different types and levels of Digimon, and the three Attributes: Virus, Vaccine, and Data. Aururaumon had been a Virus, as was Sagemon. MasterTyrannomon was Data. He was, as they had found out, a fully-Digivolved Digimon, also known as the Ultimate Level.

They learned too of Etemon, and Evan felt an unusual and intense dislike for the monkey Digimon he had never actually met. He was a Virus Attribute and an Ultimate as well, and he was ruthless...even if he was rather dim _and_ obsessed with his own terrible music. He had a network that covered almost the entire desert, the Dark Network. Cables of darkness were buried all over in the wastes and dunes, and each cable empowered evil Digimon, at the cost of their sanity while they were plugged in. Strangely, none of the three brought up Myotismon or his minions. Sagemon wasn't sure why he didn't ask the elder mon, but he knew that something inside said that MasterTyrannomon might not be so kind to them if they admitted that Gatomon had pointed them in this direction. They didn't even talk of SkullMeramon, even though Sagemon knew he would be an enemy again as soon as they left the safety of the mountain. SkullMeramon, Gatomon, Myotismon, Etemon...and who knew who else.

On the final day of their training, MasterTyrannomon was oddly silent. He looked over the duo with a calm but critical eye during breakfast, but he said nothing; when they asked any questions, he said nothing. They didn't know it was to be their last day under his tutelage, but the Ultimate Digimon figured that he had done all he could to teach them. It was up to them to take it all into their own hands.

When they made their trek down the mountain to the battleground, the large dinosaur seemed distant, looking out across the sea, which was not far to the north and west. He did not know why, but MasterTyrannomon knew that there was going to be a great change to the world when he released his students back into it. For the better or worse, he could not tell for certain. They were young and good-hearted, but true evil was not born, it was taught or forced upon those like them.

Once they were at their training ground, the two got ready for the first part of the day, the fight. MasterTyrannomon had instilled in them that a fight after breakfast would let one digest and wake up properly. He took his place across from them, and the two Digimon bowed at the same time.

An instant later, Sagemon leaped back as MasterTyrannomon's talons cleaved the ground where the wizard Digimon had been standing. "Shine Beam!" The Champion shouted, swinging his staff. A heated burst of sunlight shot from the sunflower, striking the dinosaur dead-on in the face. He reared back, roaring like he had when they had first met him.

"Master Flames!" the beast roared, and out came intense green and black flames, a wide radial blast. Sagemon evaded by the threads of his cape, smoke trailing behind him.

"Life Sowing!" His staff disappeared, and was replaced bag that looked fit for Trick-or-Treating. Within were seeds, which he usually drew out and covered the field in, to make his Earth Binding and other growth tricks work. He had done this time and again, but the ice always devoured the plants as the day went on. Instead of throwing the seeds about the field as usual, he tossed the entire contents up in the air. His staff reappeared, already glowing. "Earth Binding!" The millions of seeds all began growing rapidly, nothing but supersized roots and vines coming forth in the sky.

They all seemed to be targeting MasterTyrannomon, who pulled and tore and slashed and bit his way free the instant any touched him, until the mass around him was too much. They didn't get to his mouth in time, sadly.

"Master Flames!" he roared again, and the roots and vines were reduced to muddy ashes in the icy terrain. This, however, sparked an idea in Sagemon.

"Shine Beam!" he called, blasting the dinosaur in the face once more.

"Savage Claw!" Down came the claws, but they smashed into nothing more than ice. With his major size, MasterTyrannomon just wasn't fast enough to keep up with the little wizard, even if he was stronger.

"Shine Beam!" he repeated, this time from behind. The dinosaur turned, and got another face-full of heated light.

It was like today he could not control his emotions, his power. The Ultimate roared as loudly as he had ever, and there was a look of uncontrollable rage in his eyes as he shouted, "Master Flames!" He turned as the humanoid Digimon dodged and danced away from the flames in a circle around the mon. Finally, the danger signs came too late, a cracking, and a wet feeling around the feet. Suddenly, MasterTyrannomon was nowhere to be seen.

In his place, a giant hole full of water was in the middle of the battlefield. The dinosaur's head popped out, only to get clobbered face-on with the sunflower staff. "Magical Beam!" he shouted, the blast exploding off the end of the staff like it had against Ebidramon.

MasterTyrannomon was seeing stars until they somehow managed to drag him from the water and back onto dry...ice. After all, as they had discovered early on, only the mountain was actual land. Everything leading to it was solid ice.

Once he had taken a bit of time to recover on his mountain, leaving the two of them to their usual hundred push-ups before lunch, they spoke quietly while still following orders; he was only on the top of the mountain, he could still see them down there. "I think you hurt his pride," Evan commented first.

"I didn't mean to, I just thought about all the times he has broken the ice and chucked me in, or melted it and tripped me in, or done both. The whack-a-mole at the end was kind of letting off steam at how many times he has whacked me across the ice, even without meaning to."

"I figured as much." They finished their push-ups, and began a slow walk up the mountain. "Don't get me wrong, but...I think we may have learned all we can from MasterTyrannomon. He is an awesome teacher, and you sure are stronger than before, but that fight just now proved that you two have entirely different styles. I don't know who could teach you to fight better your own way, but I think...I think we may need to leave."

Sagemon nodded; he had been feeling that, as well. He liked the Ultimate Digimon, and he had taught them how to survive better, but he wasn't the best teacher. "Well, I would hate to be the one to break that news to him, so...not it!" With that, the Champion-level Digimon started running up the mountain path.

"Huh? H-hey!" Evan was suddenly in hot pursuit, both amazed that they could run the whole way up without getting tired. At the top, MasterTyrannomon was sitting over the small indent that had been made in the mountain when Evan had retrieved the Crest of Truth.

"...So, you two have felt it, too." They didn't blink or wince or show any sign they didn't know what he meant; they knew he could hear them, for nothing but the wind and their feet on snow had hidden their voices, and MasterTyrannomon listened well. "I know that I am not the best teacher for you. I do not know the ways of the earth, having been born of fire and living in this realm of ice for many years. However, I do think that you are ready to go out and find that teacher, or find a way home, if you are that lucky. You both have grown stronger in this short time, and it has been a pleasure to teach you." With that, the master grinned. "Now, let's eat one final meal together, then we all are off. I have no more reason to stay here, nor do you two. I'll accompany you as far as you wish to have me, or until I find some new students."

The two gave each other wry grins as the master turned away; he was tagging along because he was lonely, and they both knew it. He led them into his cave, which Evan had missed entirely on his run up the first time. It was faster both up and down the mountain, and it had an entrance at both ends, but neither Evan nor Sagemon had been allowed in, except at mealtimes and to sleep. It was part of their training to walk up and down the mountain the long way, after all.

When lunch was eaten and MasterTyrannomon had packed all he cared to-a giant pillow and enough food to last them to the forest-the trio set out, leaving the lonely mountain behind them. It was during their trek back across the ice that Evan and Sagemon discovered something amazing: Sagemon could _hover._ "Yes! No more cold feet, no more wet socks, no more running~" The wizard was giddy with not having to suffer back across the ice, and even more so that he didn't have to rely on anyone else to do it. He was just as fast hovering as he was running, zipping ahead like a noiseless giant bee and coming back.

Then the downside kicked in: Hovering was tiring, and hungry work. When they stopped for dinner at sunset, Evan realized just how long they had been walking, and how exhausting it had been for him on the way to the Ultimate Digimon and his mountain. This time, he felt he could walk the whole way and back without getting the least bit tired. Out here on the ice, he didn't plan on sleeping anyway, as he still had nightmares about the desert, even if he now didn't fear the tundra at all, thanks to MasterTyrannomon.

He _had_ slept while they trained, though, and in a bed, which was the best part. Now, he realized that they were leaving safety and comfort, going back into danger all around. Even with MasterTyrannomon, who sounded like he would abandon them at a moment's notice, they were still going back towards Etemon, and Myotismon, and who knew what other threats and perils.

They kept going after they ate, not stopping for the dark. The moon was straight overhead as they reached the edge of the forest, and they didn't stop there. The sun was almost rising when they stopped, and that was because they had found a good, safe place to sleep for a while. Even then, they took turns keeping guard, Evan going first.

Just before he went to wake up MasterTyrannomon for his shift, he looked up at the sun, which was slowly working its way into the sky, then back towards the mountain. He couldn't see it at all, but he knew it was still there. He didn't know why, but he felt majorly relieved, like they had left the mountain just in time. He didn't mention this to MasterTyrannomon when he woke the mon, who was just tall enough that he could look over most trees to look back at his home. Evan even waited to watch him do it, just to see if he would get homesick and leave.

But the distraught look on his face was not that of longing for home; it was a look of shock and loss. Ignoring formality or even respect, Evan climbed up the mon's tail and back, using the stegosaurus-like spines all the way up to his head. The mountain was gone. Not like it had disappeared, for there was plenty of evidence a mountain had once been there, such as the smoke rising from the peak, which was now a massive, jagged expanse about where the halfway point of the trail had been. There were no specks or dots in the sky or on the ground of the tundra, so whatever had caused this may have been long gone...or just waiting to see who would come check it out.

"It is hard," Evan said calmly, though his voice shook with barely repressed rage and fear, "when you must leave behind what you love. Often, it is destroyed before you can come back to it. This is especially true in nature."

"This was no natural phenomenon, and you know it," the mon growled deeply. "I will find who did that, and I shall take vengeance one day. That mountain was not just a home. It was a place of beauty and peace."

Evan did not reply, and he did not need to; he agreed wholly with the giant dinosaur Digimon. He climbed down slowly, and settled in next to Sagemon. "I don't believe in coincidence," Sagemon muttered, pulling his cape over the boy as well as himself.

Evan closed his eyes, frowing just slightly. "Neither do I," he replied, sleep claiming him slowly. When it finally did, he fell into a spiral of nightmares about the desert, MasterTyrannomon's rampage, and the destroyed mountain.


	7. Chapter 7

Digimon Adventure: Revised

Written by Divine Guidance Alpha

Requests and private comments may be sent to HitoSorrelius

Chapter 07: Good-Bye and Hello Again

Sitting on MasterTyrannomon's shoulder, Evan could see how large the forest was, as well as the desert in the distance. He even spied the lake and the shop where the Divermon had tried to betray him to Myotismon. They were making amazing progress, and by noon they had made it back to the desert. "...I think this is where we must part," Evan said to the large Digimon. "I don't intend to go into many towns, and if you want to find good students, you need to look everywhere."

"But to find a good master, you must look everywhere too," protested the dinosaur. "We should stick together until one of us achieves our goal."

"No, I agree with Evan. Humans are not common at all, and we don't know who could be a spy for Etemon or anyone else." Again, they seemed to be avoiding the name "Myotismon." It was like the name was a curse that no one wanted to say around each other. "I will go into towns where I can and get information quietly, since I doubt anyone knows that I am permanently Sagemon now. But, and don't take this wrong, you are...conspicuous. It is hard not to notice you, master." The giant Digimon sighed.

"I know. I am not exactly small like I was when I was Tyrannomon, or before that, when I was Agumon. You, Sagemon, have doubled in size, but you are still only a bit taller than Evan. And I would be like a beacon to wherever Evan is if I were to keep going there. Anyone could follow my tracks."

Here Evan smirked. "And that is another thing. Whoever destroyed the mountain may try to track us. If you go on in one direction, and I ride on Sagemon's back in another, they will follow you, thinking we are still riding on your shoulders." MasterTyrannomon nodded at this. "Very well, master. Thank you for your help, and good-bye." Sagemon hovered over, and Evan hopped onto his back.

"Good fortune, my students," The dinosaur said, and turned east, to head straight into the desert, while Sagemon pointed south, to keep going in the forest, back towards the lake.

Evan actually wanted to speak with Ebidramon more, ask him about Myotismon. He didn't know why, but he trusted the crustacean with the information that Gatomon had helped him more than he trusted MasterTyrannomon. Maybe it was because MasterTyrannomon was frightening to him. Sure, both had tried to kill them in their first encounter, but Ebidramon hadn't been controlled by an evil gear thing.

And there it was, the key to his problem: Evil had touched MasterTyrannomon. Ebidramon was protecting his lake from what he thought were enemies. MasterTyrannomon had attacked because he "smelled Darkness" upon them, which Evan later began thinking to mean that Aururaumon and Sagemon were Virus-Type Digimon, and that he would attack them without reason just because they were Viruses. Maybe the Gear had just brought his latent self to the surface with the power of evil. Or maybe he was overthinking it and he was just paranoid that there were more gears inside MasterTyrannomon. He was incredibly strong, after all, and it should've taken more than one to control him. Unless he wasn't that strong-minded..._Ugh, too much thinking. Head is beginning to hurt. Maybe I should just think about what I want to ask Ebidramon._

What had taken them several hours picking through the forest took them only one through the sky, from the shop where only Sagemon went in and bought some food (It seemed no one recognized him, because no alarm was made). Once they reached the lake, Evan called out, "Hey, Ebidramon! It's Evan and Sagemon! We're back from the mountain."

For a few moments, there was nothing. Then the giant lobster surfaced, and he was grinning. "Really? You met the master of the mountain?"

"Yup! He was under the control of a Dark Gear, but we broke him free of it. And look!" Evan pulled the Crest and Tag from beneath the poncho, which he had not taken off since they had arrived on the tundra (Sagemon still wore his, but it seemed to become a cape whenever he didn't need the protection or cover.).

Ebidramon stared, then laughed a bit. "Hahaha! I can not believe it! The Tag _and_ the Crest! You are a pretty incredible kid."

"Not that incredible. MasterTyrannomon said we weren't the right students for him, since we fought way differently than he did. But, we did learn a lot and get stronger, so it was worth the effort." He tucked the combined item away again, and looked to Sagemon with a bit of a frown. "However, after all that, we still don't know how to use the Crest, so Sagemon can't Digivolve to the next stage yet." Sagemon looked down as if it were his fault the Crest didn't work.

Ebidramon seemed thoughtful. "Tell me everything. We'll eat together and figure this out."

So, Evan and Sagemon built a fire by the lakeside, eating some of the supplies Sagemon had bought, while Ebidramon ate some of the fish that were in his lake, and the two told their story. Ebidramon listened well, and he asked no questions and made no comments until the end. When he finally did speak, he simply said, "Well, you probably haven't been in the right situation. The Crests are said to give aid when they are most needed."

Evan didn't like that explanation, but he was willing to believe it. It sounded like the kind of thing this world would have. Some kind of fail-safe to keep one from using power before due time. He looked at Sagemon, who was watching the lake. There was a look on his face that Evan wasn't sure he liked. He glanced at Ebidramon, who was focused entirely on him.

Suddenly, many things happened at once: Sagemon launched a Magical Beam towards something in the water, which had lashed out and caught Ebidramon's tail, who suddenly tried to grab Evan's leg, as if that would save him from being dragged down into the lake. Evan barely avoided getting his leg caught, and he scrambled back from the lake edge as the lobster Digimon sank beneath the surface. The water roiled violently for a few moments, then out came another Digimon, large and intimidating; it looked like a red sea serpent with a yellow head and a blade coming from its forehead.

"MegaSeadramon!" Sagemon shouted, his staff being replaced by the bag of seeds. He threw the whole bag again, and shouted, "Earth Binding!"

The roots did their work for a moment, wrapping the sea snake up tight. Then it screeched, "Lightning Javelin!" and bolts of lightning came off of the horn and cut through the roots like blades.

Sagemon didn't falter, however, and he changed tact quickly, swinging his staff and yelling, "Shine Beam!" The blast of heated light scorched the sea monster's flesh, to which his screeched again, unleashing more lightning from the blade-horn. Most of it struck Sagemon dead-center, and put him through a tree. Just like the last time they had been at this lake, Evan felt rage building. He looked to the Digivice, and he drew out the Crest. "Why won't you work? Are we still not strong enough? Is it me? Am I the problem?" He didn't even let that sit for a moment, before he thought about it; his partner had Digivolved every time he was in trouble. Maybe it was time to get in trouble again.

"Hey, you slimy snake! Over here!" He picked up a rock and threw it, bouncing harmlessly off of the sea serpent. Still, it had the effect he had wanted, and the creature started sending lightning at the poor human.

Evan dodged well enough, and he saw that the Crest was glowing with a dark aura. He glanced at the Digivice, which seemed to malfunction for a moment, sparks flowing from it, before it activated with a glow as dark as the one the Crest was emitting. The same aura also surrounded Sagemon, who seemed to become an opaque shadow instead of glowing with blinding light like usual.

"Sagemon, Digivolve to...SNAPDRAMON!" Where the little wizard had been laid out, a large dragon made of _vines_ was now getting up, the wings that were its only limbs besides a long and thorny tail spreading to reveal a thin, petal-like membrane. In the center of its back, a much larger belladonna flower grew. Thorns grew along the creature's entire body. There was hatred and evil in those eyes.

Evan had only enough time to say to himself, "What have I done?" and up the plant-dragon flew over the lake, screeching once before unleashing strange, sickly green flames down upon his foe. They looked very like MasterTyrannomon's flames had been when he had been infected with the Dark Gear. Evan knew something was wrong.

MegaSeadramon dove under the water, but the flames stuck to the surface of the water, and when the sea serpent stuck his head up again, they coated his skin. The serpent screeched up at the dragon, who screeched right back and unleashed even more of the sickly flames. The serpent dove back under the water, and did not come back up. Evan suspected that there were underwater caves for the creature to escape through, or something to that extent.

He didn't really have that much time to wonder, however, as suddenly the new Ultimate, Snapdramon, was turning to face him, screeching more loudly and looking at him with the kind of look that Evan suspected prey would get. He did the really smart and logical thing, and started running for his life. The dragon gave its shrill imitation of a roar, and went after him. Something was extremely wrong.

He finally heard its voice when not shrieking, and that was far scarier, a hiss that seemed to carry on the wind and make it feel like it was right behind him. "Forest Binding!" Where Sagemon could only cause roots to wrap around a target, this new form had control over the whole forest, and the whole forest seemed eager to try and capture or crush Evan for its new master.

"Oh, no...Oh jeez, I knew something like this would happen one day...Killed by a _plant_. My mother told me I was silly and wrong. Who's wrong now, Mom?!" He dodged over fallen logs, under grasping branches and vines, around tripping and spiking roots. He was amazed that only two weeks of training had his instincts this well-honed, but MasterTyrannomon was a sadistic teacher. They had to dodge his fire, cracking ice, and a million other things. It was like he was preparing the boy for this exact situation.

"Burning Poison!" The hiss came again, and Evan dove to the side, rolling and following a new path as the flames lit up the forest behind him. He glanced back, and saw that it seemed to melt the trees, instead of making the wood catch fire. Everything touched by it eroded quickly, but the dragon had lost sight of him for a moment. He dove behind the biggest tree he could find, tucked everything beneath the poncho, pulled his hood up, and hid.

It was two hours later, after much shrieking and rampant destruction with no one to stop him and no one to hurt, that Sagemon finally appeared before Evan, his poncho tattered and his visage utter horror. He was at least relieved that Evan was okay, but the look he was getting wasn't encouraging. "...That wasn't the power I was expecting," he attempted to make a joke. Evan nodded, but didn't say anything; he now trusted his own partner far less than MasterTyrannomon. "...What was that?" the wizard asked, as if his partner would know.

"That_, little magician,"_ Gatomon's voice came to them, _"was what happens when you try to force the Crest's powers before you are worthy of them."_ She appeared, landing beside Evan, who didn't even flinch; he had expected her sooner or later. She had probably been watching them since they returned to the forest. "Hello again. Did I come at a bad time?" Sagemon didn't say anything, as he was wary of this cat. She was evil with a capital E.

"Why haven't you called Myotismon on us yet?" Evan asked her, his voice dull and listless, his eyes just as much so; he had failed. She had just told him that he failed, and that monster and all that destruction was his fault. She hadn't said those words, but he knew it to be so.

"Because I would rather not let you die," she said nonchalantly. "Lord Myotismon wouldn't be content to let you live, I don't think. Not unless you can control your power. After all, he is seeking to make the Digital World a perfect place, and a wild factor like that power would upset everything."

"I don't buy that," Evan said coldly, some of the fire coming back. "I don't believe that Myotismon is a good guy at all."

Gatomon chuckled. "You aren't entirely dense, then."

"And I don't believe you serve him willingly, either. You have an agenda."

That threw her for a moment, and she glared at the boy, turning her head when he looked her in the eye with that new determination. "Hmph. You wouldn't be lying, but it's not like I have a choice, either." She looked at Sagemon, then back to Evan, smirking again. "I have an idea. I will train you. The wizard does move like a cat, dodging and dancing away instead of going straight for the kill like that overgrown lizard." That just gave Evan another truth to know, that she had been spying on them.

"And why should we work for you? That's just like working for Myotismon, and I don't think I want to do that." Her expression was cold, like his refusal had been an insult. In a way, it was.

"I do work for him, but it is that, or I call him now and you die. He sent me to gauge you, just like he sent MegaSeadramon. If I say that you intended this destruction, intended all of it, he would accept you. He likes power. And if you work for him, he won't be trying to kill you. You can grow stronger in safety, and this will help you get home. That _is_ his final goal, to get to the human world."

"He will ask for a demonstration." Evan didn't sound doubtful, more like he was just trying to find an excuse. She had him. The real world was in trouble, and if he could get stronger without having to worry about facing Myotismon until the right time, he was at least a bit safer.

"I thought of that. The Digivice seems to work with your will. Just want him to Digivolve again, and he will. Long as you are in control, as long as you know what the truth is, it should work."

Sagemon had been silent until this point, but he finally spoke. "And just what is the truth?"

"That you're trying to save both worlds from a great evil," she said, smiling devilishly. "That is a good and noble goal, yes?" She turned back to Evan, tipping his head up to look at hers with one paw. "If just wanting him to Digivolve was enough to make him do so, imagine what wanting him to Digivolve while right is on your side could do for you." Her voice had become soft, soothing. It would have been so easy to just accept and agree in an instant, but Evan managed to snap himself from it. He needed her to think he wasn't as accepting of what she said as truth as he really was.

"...I'll need some time to think about it. Can you give me until sundown?"

She didn't scowl, but she frowned a bit. "...Sure. But I will be back, and I will expect an answer. If you make me wait in vain, you had best hope that my words will let you Digivolve against the person who just gave you that hope I see in your eyes." He knew exactly what she meant, that she would probably kill him herself if he couldn't stop her. And with how mixed up he was, he knew the Crest wouldn't react at all against her.

"I suppose we'll see," was all he said in reply. The cat nodded, hopped up into the trees, and was gone. Sagemon walked closer and sat next to his partner, who reached out and put a hand on the wizard's shoulder. "...We're going to do the right thing," he said after a while, to which Sagemon nodded sadly.

"I had a feeling you would say that. And I am with you, one hundred percent." Evan wasn't sure why, but Gatomon's inadvertent blaming of him had made him lose his fear of his partner. Now he feared his own resolve, his own darkness. He was going to spiral into doubt unless he could reaffirm his resolve. "You know, I am kind of hungry. Digivolving to Ultimate is hard work." Evan nodded, smiling a bit as he began to lay out their supplies for a nice meal. They lit a fire, and even made a little vigil to Ebidramon; they were certain they wouldn't be seeing him again.

As they ate, Evan thought, and thought hard. Sagemon didn't intrude, and that was fine with Evan. He was thinking of Snapdramon, of the immense power that he had shown. He thought of his partner in control of himself, and he knew his decision had been sealed since the cat offered him a chance. All he had to do was make sure that Darkness didn't take hold of him.

_If I can rule myself, my heart and my mind, then he will not lose it again. I won't lose him. He is strong. I must get stronger, in will and in courage._ He accepted that as truth, and he believed the Crest would, too. If he could harness that power, then Snapdramon could fight anyone, Evan was sure.

Even Myotismon.

Sagemon, meanwhile, was thinking about the power too. His own thoughts were of how he had seen his partner as prey, as food. He would have to control himself. He would have to rule his body and not let anything stop his friend from getting home.

Not even Myotismon.


End file.
